Open letter to anyone helping with name suggestions

If I tell you that the name you think I could use (you know, as an alternative to Tiki) is "too popular," please don't think that I am insulting your taste or imagination. Remember I am a Jennifer. The year I was born almost 4% of girls were named Jennifer. I can't go anywhere without hearing someone call out, "Jen!" and it not be for me. I am so used to asking "Which one?" at school, at the doctor's office....everywhere. There were so many Jen's at my college, that we were all reduced to being called by either nicknames (I am so glad I wasn't Big Jen), or by our last names. That is how I got the creative nickname, "Ambrose." People that knew me then still refer to me as just Ambrose. Heck, my sister Kate even calls me Ambrose.

Comments

Anonymous said…
We wanted to go with an older name, so we were tossing around the names Imogen and Eleanor. When I would say these names to people they would completely mispronounce them. Since we live in the south both were out. So we finally decided on Adelyn Ivy. But you live where people can pronounce things correctly - so your options are wide open!

Happy New Year!
RheaDogg
Anonymous said…
I wasn't thinking about living in China - your options are wide open now! Have fun - and I know you will come up with something more than Tiki.
RH
Anonymous said…
Uncle T...

Two opinions: Pick a name you've always liked (or enjoy saying. How fun is it to say "Moon Unit" or "Dweezil"?), or pick a name that honors someone in your life who meant a lot (good friend, family member, teacher, historical figure, etc).
Anonymous said…
I think that Addison is a beautiful name.
The Girl said…
Addison is what we've picked out for our first girl (if kids are in the future for us). However, ours has everything to do with the Chicago Cubs and nothing to do with Gray's Anatomy :)

What about Margaret Mary? For some reason, I seem to remember that being what you picked out when everyone thought that Myles was going to be a girl.
Jen Ambrose said…
T-
That is what worked with us with Myles, and we will probably do something like that again.

Girl-
Funny how these things seem to work. That name seemed 100% right then, but right now it doesn't fell as right.
Anonymous said…
Uncle T...

What? So a wealthy (republican) attorney cousin in Washington DC is where you went? Did I mention he's a republican? One cool thing, though, he got me Gerald Ford's autograph. I wonder if I still have that picture somewhere?
Jen Ambrose said…
Well, actually we used Myles from all the Myles's in the Ambrose family, particularly our great-great-...grandfather Myles Ambrose of the three brothers that came over from Ireland. And yes, it doesn't get any more Republican than our most famous Myles---wasn't Pat Buchannon the best man at his last wedding? It was nice to have a name that has heavy family connections but unfortunately hadn't been used in a while.
And actually your name that starts wtih a T was a short-lister at that time. So ha!
Jen Ambrose said…
And it was amusing after my Myles was born that I learned that Grandpa's cousin Joe is really a Myles, and the girl name I had picked out at that time was Margaret Mary, so maybe he was supposed to be named after Margaret Mary and Joe all along!
Jen Ambrose said…
Uncle T--
Are you saying that "Tiki" isn't a meaningful name? One of the greatest RB's of the game :-)
Anonymous said…
Uncle T...

Tiki? FEH! Another spoiled professional athelete. "I don't wanna run anymore. I wanna work on Fox and Friends so I don't have to work out so much and get tackled by all those big men".

As a history lesson, and G'ma can elaborate, we grew up knowing Cousin Myles as "Himself" (as in: "We're having a family reunion this summer, did you invite Himself?"). You say the name kinda like saying the Pope's name; regally and with awe. He and his first wife Elaine are my Godparents, and he was my Confirmation sponsor. We didn't really see him much growing up. The last time I saw him was at G'pa's funeral. I had to think about your Pat Buchanan comment. That's one of those thoughts that was so funny, it might actually be true.

I knew Joe was a Myles. My recollection was there were so many of them running around, that Joe went with his middle name. He and Margaret Mary are the nicest people, either of them would be a good choice too.

I didn't realize you picked one of the first ones off the boat, good choice.
Anonymous said…
ambrose and uncle t...i thought that was true. they got married in ireland, pat buchanan was the best man...doesn't seem so far-fetched, right? and regarding the name myles, i also thought, ambrose, that another factor in choosing that name was because there wasn't a myles in our generation while there has been at least one since g-g-g-....grandfather myles. i could be wrong about this statistic, though.
Anonymous said…
Uncle T...

I read the Pat Buchanan comment and thought "Ha ha. Pat Buchannan. That's funny. Ha..... uh..." Eyebrows furrow, thumb goes to chin...hmmm... Yup, I can see that!

I'm going over relatives in my head, but can't think of a Myles in our generation, unless one of his own kids used the name, but that would still kinda mean a skipped generation.
Jen Ambrose said…
Megs--You don't remember the big family reunion that was held in Allison Park in the early 80s. The family has more Myleses than Patricks, odd for an Irish family. There are many, many Myles, though I don't think any under 40. Maybe 50
eulogos said…
Re "Jennifer"

I was born in 1950, and named Susan. I don't know why, but many many girls my age are named Susan. In 9th grade, my geography class of 30 students included seven girls named Susan.
(lets see, Susan Ferwerda (me),Susan Raetz, Susan Olson, Susan Kovacik.....that's is all I remember, but I know there were more. Despite that, I love my name.
Now, no one is named Susan. It is going to be an "old lady" name, the way Olive and Pearl and Mildred were old lady names.

I believe in names which are names of saints or names in the Old Testament. I prefer the English ones, or Scandinavian. My own daughters are named
Joan Winifred, Emily Susan, Margaret Bromilow (that's my grandmother's maiden name) and Kristin Lily. I got Kristin from the book Kristin Lavransdattar, but it turned out to be one of those awfully popular names. Other names I like: Hannah, Sarah, Rachel (biblical)
Elizabeth, and Anne, (English, saint's names.)
Maybe you should pick a saint you would want to be your child's patron. My north european prejudices made "Teresa" not really to my taste, but I took it as my confirmation name for the mighty saints who had it, especially Teresa of Avilla, a doctor of the church.
Susan Joan Teresa Ferwerda Peterson
Anonymous said…
seton hill was the land of a thousand Jens...